Plugin naming restrictions

IntelliJ Platform
1

Hi,

What are the hard restrictions on plugin naming?
Can the name of a project be in the name? Like “MySuperExtension for PyCharm”?

Bye,
jo

2

Your plugin name as it appears on the Marketplace cannot include “JetBrains” or other brandings by JetBrains. You can, however, call your project whatever you like.

For example, I have a project called Pyrefly for PyCharm. The suffix “for PyCharm” is to differentiate it from the actual tool, Pyrefly (@facebook/pyrefly), just in case I ever make a fork called @InSyncWithFoo/pyrefly. The Marketplace name of the plugin is just “Pyrefly”.

3

More details here: Best practices for listing your plugin | JetBrains Marketplace Documentation

4

The suffix “for PyCharm” is to differentiate it from the actual tool

This seems to contradict this practice from the docs:

  • Don’t: Include “JetBrains” or supported JetBrains products in the name.

But if you got it accepted like that, it might indicate a suggestion and not a hard restriction.

5

Please also:

  • Don’t Use the word “Plugin” in the name.
  • Don’t Use Emoji or symbols in the name.
  • No Marketing slogans and prices/offerings in names
  • Don’t use special symbols to visually copy other plugin names, users will get confused in search, we enforce name uniqueness
6

@chbndrhnns Let me rephrase: The “for PyCharm” suffix is a part of my own naming convention for my repositories/projects. On the other hand, what JetBrains cares about is the Marketplace name of the plugin (i.e., the name it is published under).

For the project in question, its name, as I call it, is Pyrefly for PyCharm; I don’t call it Pyrefly because that name also refers to the tool I’m providing integration for. However, to the Marketplace and its users, the plugin is called Pyrefly, with no suffix.

7

This kinda hurts developers who want to build a plugin for a trademarked product, which usually has strict branding guidelines, let’s take the example
:white_check_mark: “Docker”

:cross_mark: "Docker Plugin Support for IntelliJ IDEA”

I can’t go off and call something “dbt”, infact you called it “dbt Support” https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/28489-dbt-support/versions/stable

See dbt Labs Brand Guidelines | dbt Labs | dbt Labs / https://www.getdbt.com/dbt-assets/dbt-trademark-guidelines

We want to make it difficult to use our trademarks in a way that is confusing,
misleading about our endorsement, damaging to the reputation of the product or
community, or allows an entity to unfairly profit from our trademarks.

I bet if I looked at most other companies, they’d also want to ensure you’re not calling your plugin just “Docker” or something that can be confused with their product.

So what we should we name these? Come up with some bogus name that becomes impossible for users to find the plugin?

8

I think that if your plugin is intended for IntelliJ, there is no need to mention it in its name. At least on the JetBrains marketplace. Name it as you want on your website.

If JetBrains allows us to use their brand names in our plugin names, we know how it will end. I’m saying that because many plugins say they are a “JetBrains plugin” in their description, which is not honest. This wasn’t the case a long time ago, but as the marketplace becomes more and more popular, I’m seeing more and more plugin developers who don’t really follow the rules. Low quality plugins, aggressiveness, dishonesty. It’s slowly turning into a dumpster.

9

We also are unhappy about dbt Support as Support does not add anything meaningful, even for us internal cleanup takes some time.

I’d suggest more specific names for plugins if possible, like .env Files or Quarkus Run Configs as examples, especially when there is a clash or a trademark owner complains. Sometimes they explicitly allow naming like Runner for JetBrains Space.

10

Chiming in with two pieces:

  • rules on JetBrains Marketplace gradually tighten. There are long-running plugins with specific exceptions. New plugins are considered much more strictly, especially with naming.

  • I had a personal experience with my personal plugin and GitLab naming because of GitLab IP requirements. One of the idea was to create a product name for plugin. I ended up with Quick Merge Request for GitLab.

Also note that for PyCharm might be confusing for multiple reasons. Is it PyCharm Community? PyCharm Pro? Such plugin will run in the IntelliJ IDEA with Python plugin, too.